Potted film reviews by Gary Anthony Cross

September 3, 2016September 3, 2016

Queen Of The Damned (2002)

Lestat returns to become a rock star and reawakens an ancient evil who threatens to consume the world.

Another Anne Rice novel makes it to the big screen, complete with the usual frock-coated homo-eroticism and pseudo-Gothic romanticism. It’s the kind of film that probably really appeals to pubescent Goth girls who get a kick out of watching shirtless, pouty, long-haired men spout poetry and wrestle with each other to a sub-standard Nine Inch Nails style soundtrack. None of these ingredients appeal to me however, and so I can view it with rather more objectivity. The fact is, it’s not very good. The plot is listless, there’s little drama and as appealing as Aaliyah looks in her vampire queen garb, she has little to do save, well, look appealing. But by far the biggest flaw is in the direction, which is dreadfully amateurish; Michael Rymer clearly has no idea how to direct action and it’s full of horribly corny visual effects.

Perhaps a riot for those who want nothing more than fetish wear and nu metal, but Blade II is executed with far more style and Interview With The Vampire is a much more sophisticated movie.